Davis/canaan valley

Hello, WV'ers! I'm taking a trip to Canaan Valley in August and have no previous experience there. Any thoughts on the best places to ride that are within perhaps an hour at most but preferably closer.

I don't know your riding ability but these trails are very difficult. Techy rock gardens and lots of mud. CVI trails are easier of the 2 and Moon Rocks is so cool. There are also some rail to trails in the area, I think one is on the Blackwater River. Davis is one of the coolest mountain bike towns around (oh yea they ski there too )

Blackwater Bikes has wrenches, bikes, and maps so it is a must visit spot. Hellbenders burritos is also.

Thanks for the reply. I ride a very rocky and technical area here in PA, so I'm not too worried about that, although my wife will be along. She's not as experienced but I think we'll be smart about it an manage. I'm looking forward to sampling some of the local fare down there. We're going to hopefully do some whitewater rafting and some hiking at Seneca Rocks, I believe.

I was just down there a couple of weeks ago on my motorcycle. Davis looks pretty run down, sort of like the heyday passed 10 years ago. I'm sure the trails are fine but kind of got the vibe it's not the destination it once was. If you were referring to food with the word "fare" there's a burrito place in Davis that's supposed to be good, everything else not so good.

Hellbenders is great and up the road is the Purple Fiddle. Good stuff there as well. The town is a bit of a dump but it's definitely a mountain biking destination. Don't let the looks of the town fool you. It's a nice place once you get past the exterior. Full of hippies and mountain bikers. I love it up there. The area is simply beautiful and some of the best hiking and mountain biking.

I just spent a few days out there (first trip out there). Stayed at Canaan Valley State Park Resort, which I would choose not to do next time. It's a bit run down but more than that it is far from most of what you'll want to do. The Bright Morning Inn looked pretty nice, and staying there would pretty well allow you to park the car and leave it for your stay.

The trails are still suffering from damage caused by last summer's derecho storm and then Sandy. Tons of blow downs, and everything is still saturated. It should dry out by the time you go. There are only so many people doing trail work and progress is slow. The guy (Rich?) at Blackwater Bikes is great, his dog is awesome, and he will have the day to day low down on what is clear and best for any given day.

Not too many mountain towns look all that pristine in the full light of summer but Davis and Thomas (2 miles up route 32) do seem a bit frayed at the edges. It's WV, not Vail. Sirianni's Pizza is great, the Purple Fiddle is swell also. Mountain State Brewing Co is cool as well.

My first ride was up Middle Ground (?) from the Park Resort up Allegheny to the Loop Road (big fire road), then to Davis Trail, down to Plantation, and out to 32. I don't think this would be a lot of fun for someone who doesn't ride a lot. It's hard.

The next ride (wet weather) started in the Dobbin House area of Blackwater Falls Park. If this trail had been 100 miles long I would have loved it - tight, tough enough to keep you on your toes but you are riding the whole time, some fast, some slow, and absolutely incredible scenery. From there I crossed over to the CVI area. Would have loved to ride more in there but it was really really wet and I was wearing out from riding in the cold.

I left Saturday morning of Mem Day weekend but was shocked at how many cars with nice bikes were on Main Street on Friday evening. It's clearly still a destination for a ton of people. I'd go again but maybe not in spring and would absolutely stay in town (my trip was last minute so availability was scarce).

There are some short loops of trails across the river in Thomas. Blackwater Falls SP has several trails, some are hiking/horse only. The CVI trails are under new management by WV DNR. The old RR grade goes from near Douglas to Hendricks along Blackwater river canyon, this has some blow downs and old slides on it. Canaan Valley SP has trails too. Many other trails in the area but also have damage.

Roger or Tim at BWB shop will have the 411. Getting the trails squared away bit at a time. Could use some help, second Saturday of each month is trail day. Help if you can!

I was going to be passing thru West Virginia near Davis next week.I was planning on taking only a 29er rigid steel SS on the trip.Would that bike even be useful there,or should I add a Yeti Big Top to the rack?

You should bring the Big Top. The best trails are very rocky with some short but steep climbs. That said, a buddy's son rode Plantation on a rigid fixie with his mad skills. Nevertheless, IMO the more suspension you have, the more fun you'll have.

You should bring the Big Top. The best trails are very rocky with some short but steep climbs. That said, a buddy's son rode Plantation on a rigid fixie with his mad skills. Nevertheless, IMO the more suspension you have, the more fun you'll have.

I should add that I am recovering from an injury and will not be able to ride the "best" trails ,and in fact may just be able to get a little exercise on fire roads for the next few months.So I thought maybe the SS would stay clean and maintenance free in mud and would not be a big loss if someone stole it during the trip which will also go thru some urban areas.

I should add that I am recovering from an injury and will not be able to ride the "best" trails ,and in fact may just be able to get a little exercise on fire roads for the next few months.So I thought maybe the SS would stay clean and maintenance free in mud and would not be a big loss if someone stole it during the trip which will also go thru some urban areas.

Maybe you should take a look at this route - it may give you some ideas.